Odisha to form inter-ministerial committee to resolve interstate disputes

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has announced the formation of an Inter-Ministerial Committee to tackle longstanding interstate disputes with neighboring states. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi made the decision during a high-level meeting held on Wednesday at Lok Seva Bhawan, according to a statement from the Chief Minister's Office.

The committee will address various contentious issues, including the Polavaram project, the Mahanadi river dispute, and the Kotia region, with the goal of fostering resolution and promoting regional harmony. Present at the meeting were law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan, advocate general Pitambar Acharya, chief secretary Manoj Ahuja, additional chief secretary to the Chief Minister Nikunj Bihari Dhal, development commissioner Anu Garg, and other senior officials.

Odisha is currently engaged in multiple disputes with neighboring states—West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand. These conflicts primarily involve water-sharing arrangements, dam constructions, and boundary delineations. Of particular note is the protracted territorial dispute with Andhra Pradesh over the Kotia gram panchayat, encompassing 21 villages, ongoing since 1960.

The boundary dispute with West Bengal centers around 27 plots in Balasore district and disputed areas within Mayurbhanj district. Similarly, Odisha and Chhattisgarh are engaged in territorial conflicts over several villages in the Nabarangpur and Jharsuguda districts.

Efforts to address water-sharing issues have led to the establishment of two tribunals: the Vansadhara Water Disputes Tribunal, set up in 2009 to mediate between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, and the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal, constituted by the Central Government in 2018 to handle disputes between Odisha and Chhattisgarh over the Mahanadi River.